10 Tips For Choosing The Right SEO Company

SEO is an integral part of any online marketing campaign. If your wish is to own a website that gets enormous amounts of traffic on a monthly basis then search engine optimization should be a top priority. As we speak, there is a lot of information on search engine optimization strategies and techniques on the internet. Having access to this information may lead you to assume that you are more than capable of running your website’s SEO campaign all by yourself. However, this is not a very wise decision.

How to choose a great SEO company

Having an abundance of knowledge on search engine optimization is not the only requirement needed to get your website to the top of search results. Even with a lot of effort and dedication, there is only so much you can do to optimize your website without the help of a professional SEO company. SEO is a time consuming and tedious activity that demands that a person have specific skills and experience in order to undertake successfully. SEO is also a continuous process that does not start today and end tomorrow. An SEO campaign needs to be implemented over several months or even years in order for your website to obtain and maintain a good ranking.

Consequently, hiring an SEO company is the best way you can go about optimizing your website. However, it is important that you find the right SEO company to help get your website to the top of search results. There are so many SEO companies and service providers out there today so it can sometimes be difficult to choose the right one. This should not worry you as highlighted below are 10 tips for choosing the right SEO company for your website or online business.

SEO Technique

The first and foremost consideration you should make when looking for a competent and reliable SEO company is their main optimization technique or strategy. If you are familiar with search engine optimization then you are well aware that there are two types of SEO. There is white hat SEO and black hat SEO. White hat SEO is the preferred and accepted type of SEO that is recommended by search engine providers such as Google, Bing and Yahoo. On the other hand, black hat SEO involves use of unauthorized and often times short-cut optimization strategies to get websites to the top of search results.

This is a no-brainer as it is obvious that you should only work with an SEO company that does white hat SEO. Black hat SEO techniques are not recommended as they can have some negative implications on the ranking of your website. Web sites that have employed such SEO tactics have been known to lose vast amounts of traffic overnight once Google and other search engines update its algorithms to punish such unscrupulous tactics. The right SEO company should clearly state what SEO technique they will use to optimize your website.

SEO Services

There are a wide range of SEO services on offer out there today. Depending on the type of website you run and the niche you are in, an SEO company can offer you a wide range of SEO services to suit your specific needs and requirements. Services range from website development, website design, basic optimization, site layout structuring, backlinking, keyword research, keyword optimization, content development, social media marketing, email marketing, analytics and many more.

Make sure your SEO company has a complete business plan for you.

Most SEO services are usually grouped into relevant packages that suit different types of websites and online businesses. It is highly recommended that you find a company that includes as many services as possible into their packages. Also, their SEO packages should clearly state each and every service included, the cost as well as the timeline they will be offering the subject services.

SEO Tools

The next tip you should consider when choosing an SEO company is the tools they will use to optimize your website. There is no shortage of SEO tools and applications on the web. Different types of tools perform different types of tasks. The main objective of using SEO tools is to automate frequently performed tasks such as posting of content to your website. Some SEO tools are obviously better than others so it is advisable to do your due diligence on the various tools that a company offers.

The more tools a company puts at your disposal, the more points they should earn during your selection. It is good to note that some companies may opt to charge you more for using certain tools and applications. This should not be the case and if it is, the company should be clear about which tools you will be required to pay extra for. In most cases, optimization tools and applications should be included as part of the SEO package that you opt into.

Cost Structure or Pricing

Pricing is definitely something that you should consider when choosing the right SEO company. To start with, SEO should not be a costly affair. Many people usually shy away from using professional SEO services due to the fear of being overcharged or ripped off. This should not be the case as there are many SEO companies that offer quality services at affordable rates. Unfortunately, there are also companies that are out there to rip you off. This is why you should be very keen and alert when choosing an SEO company.

SEO should never be more costly than other marketing techniques such as Pay Per Click ads, video marketing, and other popular marketing techniques. SEO should be fairly priced in relation to the specific services being provided by a company. You should carefully look into the cost structure of the services being offered and evaluate whether you are being fairly charged or not. You should also look out for any extra charges that may not be calculated as part of the initial costs. These charges are unscrupulous and you should never agree to pay them.

Timeline

The next tip is about an SEO company’s timeline of optimizing your website. As mentioned above, SEO is not a one day or one week thing. SEO is a continuous activity that requires a lot of time in order to undertake successfully. A company that promises to improve the ranking of your website within a very short time is not recommendable. This is because successful search engine optimization is not a speedy or short-term process. A company that makes unrealistic timeline promises should be avoided like the plague.

A reasonable timeline is one that outlines various stages from the beginning of the SEO campaign to the end and should in most cases range from several weeks to months. When asking a SEO company or service provider about their timeline for optimizing your website, it is important to also express your expectations on how soon you want your website to feature on top search results. A competent and reliable company should be able to adjust their optimization timeline to suit your expectations as well as your business plan.

Portfolio and Track Record

An SEO company’s portfolio and track record can say a lot about the kind of work they do. A comprehensive portfolio should clearly show information about previous clients as well as past projects that the SEO company has engaged in. This information is very crucial as it can help you to determine how suitable a company is to optimize and promote your website on the internet. The right SEO company should show you some of the websites that they have successfully optimized.

Track record is all about customer and client feedback. If a company has a poor track record then it is best to avoid them all together. To get a clear picture of an SEO company’s track record, you can ask for specific client or customer testimonials and reviews of their services. An SEO company that is able to prove successful optimization of websites that are very similar to yours is the right one to choose.

Experience

Experience in the search engine optimization world is extremely valuable. The internet and more specifically the online marketing world has evolved and changed a lot over the years. Search engine providers such as Google, Bing and Yahoo have undertaken hundreds of changes and updates to their search algorithms over the years. Working with professionals who have been around when these changes and updates were taking place can be an added bonus for your website and online business.

Experience is a key factor to consider when choosing an SEO company. The right company should be made up of a team of internet marketing professionals who have relevant credential as well as years of experience in optimizing websites for search engines. Experienced professionals are more capable and they can also be trusted to do a good job.

Deliverables

Deliverables are basically the promises a company makes when pitching you to hire them. Nowadays, SEO companies and service providers make all sorts of promises to website owners. What a company promises to deliver is very crucial as this is what you use to gauge whether or not they are a suitable candidate. Deliverables can be anything from amounts of traffic to position on search engine results pages. Other deliverables include reduction of bounce rate as well as increasing conversion rate.

What a company promises to deliver should be realistic and not out of this world. Some companies tend to promise a lot but they end up delivering much less to their clients. You do not want to fall victim to such companies. The deliverables expected after the specified timeline should be realistic while at the same time appealing to your individual needs and requirements.

Reporting

Reporting is all about how a company communicates with you about the progress of your SEO campaign. The right SEO company should have a well laid out structure and timetable of reporting. This involves periodic updates on how your website is fairing in terms of keyword performance as well search engine ranking. Reports can be issued on a weekly, monthly or quarterly basis. The most important thing is that the reports are accurate, clear and concise. Reports should be easy to read and should have the right combination of texts and graphics.

Money Back Guarantee

Last but not least is an SEO company’s guarantee. A money back guarantee is a provision offered by a company where they offer to pay you back your money in the event they do not deliver on their said promises. A money back guarantee is an indicator that a company is confident in its performance and its ability to deliver results. Also, a money back guarantee can offer some sort of security and peace of mind so finding an SEO company that offers one is definitely a good idea.

Author Details

Author Details

Author Details

This article was written by one of our staff writers, and opinions expressed may not represent those of the owners.Our staff writers are now available for hire, so if you need great quality articles for your website at reasonable prices, contact us now.

This article was written by one of our staff writers, and opinions expressed may not represent those of the owners.Our staff writers are now available for hire, so if you need great quality articles for your website at reasonable prices, contact us now.